1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a wheeled hand truck for handling wheel assembly components and, in particular, to an improved system, method, and apparatus for a wheeled hand truck for handling and transporting vehicle rim-mounted tires and brake drums during installation or removal thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is difficult to change a heavy, rim-mounted tire on a vehicle from its axle hub located beneath the vehicle fender. The installer must lift the weight of the rim and tire while simultaneously aligning the lug bolts on the hub with matching holes in the rim. Only then can the tire be engaged with the lugs and nuts installed to secure the rim to the axle. If the installer has no manipulating tools to assist him, he must perform these activities while reaching under the fender and supporting the rim and tire, promising him at best soiled clothing and threatening injuries.
Rim-mounted tires for large trucks or tractors offer even greater challenges because of their greater weight. Some rim-mounted truck tires weigh in excess of two hundred pounds, making them almost impossible to lift by hand in such awkward circumstances, while tractor tires generally are too heavy to lift by hand at all. Further, tandem or dual wheels on larger trucks require installation and removal of tires recessed much farther beneath the fender than on conventional automobiles. The brake drum assemblies for these types of vehicles are equally cumbersome to manipulate during removal or installation. A need exists for a tire and brake drum manipulating device that facilitates installation and removal of rim-mounted tires and brake drums for larger, industrial-type applications.
Furthermore, truck and tractor tires and brake drums can be a challenge just to lift off the floor and to stand upright for relocation. For example, conventional practice dictates that a lever bar be inserted beneath the sidewall of the tire and lifting pressure applied to the handle end of the lever to lift one side of the tire off the floor. The operator then repeatedly must support the weight of the inclined tire while he resets the lever to lift the tire farther, thereby ratcheting the side of the tire upward until the tire stands upright on its tread. During this activity, the operator must laterally control the weight of the rim and tire to prevent it from rolling off the lever bar. If the operator loses control during this activity, he must dodge away and let the tire fall back to the floor or risk back or leg strain trying to manhandle the tire without the lever for assistance. A need exists for a safer method and apparatus for lifting heavy, rim-mounted tires and brake drums.
Once a tire or brake drum has been lifted into an upright position, it can be rolled into place for installation onto a vehicle. At the vehicle fender, however, space for rolling it back and forth while working it toward the axle hub is restricted, requiring a series of very short rolling operations alternately turning it to direct its progress in the desired direction. The same activity is required during removal. As the tire or drum progresses toward the axle hub during installation, the operator must reach farther and farther under the fender to support and manipulate it or crawl under the fender with it. The latter option is especially hazardous because the space is constricted, causing the operator to crouch in an awkward position and increasing the risk of injury and of losing control. A need exists for a device to assist in translating a truck or tractor tire or brake drum beneath a vehicle fender for installation onto the axle hub and for removal.